Various Artists - Onlove Volume 3, Mixed by Kaz James & Grant Smillie

(Sony BMG)

There has been a gradual influx of house music releases and compilations by Australian DJs and artists, so it makes perfect sense that Australia’s much loved and well known house club One Love should release the third of their self titled mix CDs. The series has proven to be incredibly successful with the last two releases scoring some very nice reviews and the third release is no exception to this standard. It strives to give listeners some insight into the particular goings on of a One Love night.  What makes these releases unique and original is the fact that they all feature photos from One Love nights. The third release’s album cover boasts some 1500 shots of One Love nights which depict the sights and regulars of the night in a bright and colourful manner.

The first mix is by one half of the Bodyrockers outfit, Kaz James. His rapid rise from local DJ to international stardom happened almost as quick as the bat of an eyelid and what is most notable and hard to believe is the fact that he is only 22 years of age. He delivers a mix packed full of house tunes; ranging from the more mild and toned down type all the way up to the jacked up funky variations. His mixing is unobtrusive and he weaves his way through his selections; all the while allowing each tune to do its own talking rather than heavy use of effects or blatant mixing. The result is mix which is reminiscent of a set by James you’d expect to hear at the club and it allows those who don’t frequent the club or are unaware of it; a chance to hear what it’s all about.

Grant Smillie works his magic on the second disc and takes listeners on a reworked trip down memory lane with Pump up the Jam – D.O.N.S feat. Technotronic. From there it visits a number of different sub styles within the house genre and the result is a very eclectic range of house tunes, which really shows off Smillie’s ability to program a set fluently as well as his versatility. His tracks are not so mainstream or commercial which results in a quality house journey and his knack for joining tunes you never thought would go is also a notable point of this disc.

Overall the compilation is an excellent showcase of the One Love night itself, however it has to be said that it really does need to be your thing to enjoy it. Fans of One Love would no doubt love the release and house lovers alike listen up – this is one to check out and add to your collection. Some really nice work from our home grown talent, that’s for sure.

You need to be logged in to add comments... Login Now

There are 0 user comments